The risk for falls among newly admitted, short-stay nursing home residents is correlated to certified nursing assistant staffing levels, new research finds.

Investigators found 21% of new nursing home residents experienced a fall within 30 days of admission. Facilities that had higher CNA-to-resident ratios had fewer falls, according to analysts from Brown University and the University of Southern California. New residents are susceptible partially due to unfamiliarity with staff who may not have conducted fall-risk assessments, they noted.

The study was published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society